Lois Strachan

In this episode, Lois Strachan speaks with Rajes Govender, a travel agent from Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. She is founder and co-owner of Consolidated Travel. She shares her insights into the travel industry and her own experiences as a traveller with a disability. Rajes had a motor car accident 18 years ago and lost both her lower limbs.

Today's travel quote is by André Gides: "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

Lois Strachan speaks with paralympian and professional speaker, Darren Harris, about his extensive travels, participation in the paralympics his speaking career.

Darren is visually impaired, living in the UK and loves helping people stand out from the crowd, follow their dreams, not be shut down by the masses, and to become torch bearers who break new ground for all of us.

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenberg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

Lois Strachan speaks with Dr Kim Lewis who is a General Practitioner by trade, and due to brain inflammation, lost her sight 3 years ago. Kim speaks with Lois about her travels, and most recently, her experience of going on a cruise as a blind passenger with her guide dog, Jessie.

Travel Tech Corner features the Zoom software that can help us keep connected with friends and family during lockdown.

Today's travel quote: "Stop worrying about the potholes in the road, and enjoy the trip." Babs Hoffman

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg editing software. Credits read by Musa E. Zulu.

During this time of uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, enjoy some armchair travel with Lois Strachan and her guests. Even though we can't physically travel right now, we feel it's important that we keep sharing stories, travel inspiration and our experiences for the time when we are able to go out into the world again.

Our guest today, is Anthony Ghillino who is the general manager of QASA, the QuadPara Association of the Western Cape, here in South Africa. Anthony became paralysed 28 years ago as a young man after the open bakkie he was travelling in overturned on his way home from a picnic in a local nature reserve. He uses a motorised wheelchair with a chin control, and shares his insights and experiences of travelling.

Today's service provider spotlight, we offer any service provider who provides facilities for people with disabilities to sign up for free as our token of standing in solidarity within the tourism industry during this time, and a reminder that together we are tourism strong and that South Africa will travel again. Please visit www.accessiblesouthafrica.co.za to sign up and enter the discount code: TourismStrong at checkout to claim your free listing.

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

Lois Strachan speaks with Sabine Smith from Epic Enabled, an accessible tour operator based in Cape Town, South Africa. Epic Enabled was founded by Alfie Smith, who qualified as a mechanic and started travelling as a youngster. He started Epic Expeditions in 1992. Sabine was born in Switzerland and joined Alfie in 1994. In 2001 they started Epic Enabled to provide accessible safaris for people with disabilities. They opened the Epic Guesthouse in 2010 - a fully accessible guesthouse in Cape Town.

Contact information:

Website: www.epic-enabled.com and www.epic-guesthouse.com

Email & Phone: [email protected] and +27 732282825

Facebook / Instagram: @epicenabled

In our Travel Tech corner, Zoe and Gerhard at Edit Microsystems introduce an adapted digital camera made by BJ Live. It is a 12mp camera with an automatic flash, 5 times digital zoom and a 4GB SD card. It is operated with a switch that can be positioned according to personal preference.

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

"I love to travel, I hate having my life disrupted by routine." Caskie Stinnett.

#EpicEnabled #EditMicro #AccessibleSafari #AccessibleTours

Lois Strachan speaks with Zakariya Moola about his experience going on Hajj as a person with a visual impairment.

Zakariya was born in Durban and schooled in Pietermaritzburg. He completed a Bachelor of Social Science degree and has his own business retailing stationery. He has been visually impaired since birth.

Zakariya's first overseas trip was in 1989 when he went to Saudi Arabia for a minor pilgrimage called Umrah, during his December holidays and again in 1993. In 2003 and 2016 he did the Hajj, the major pilgrimage to Mecca. He has also travelled to the UK, Dubai, India, Turkey and Palestine. Lois chats with him about the logistics of how he navigates and the technology he uses when he travels as a person who is blind.

Our service provider spotlight features the I Love Coffee Shop, situated in Cape Town, and run by deaf baristas and chefs.

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

Today's quote is by Helen Keller: "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

In today's episode, our host, Lois Strachan, speaks with Cindy Jacobsz who is a visually impaired cyclist and triathlete, and recently took a trip to the Himalayas.

Cindy is a mother of 2 daughters. She works in employee health and wellness, and occupational health & safety and transformation. Cindy has macular degeneration, which was diagnosed at 16 years old. She went to a school for partially sighted in Pretoria for 2.5 years and then studied a BA in Psychology & registered with HPC as a psychologist. Cindy wanted to re-register a few years ago but was denied because of her sight.

Our Travel Tech Corner features the Shakershak Portable vibrating alarm clock –made by Sonic Alert. This device is available from Edit Microsystems in Sea Point, Cape Town. They can be reached on [email protected] with a discount through quoting ASA.

This week Lois speaks to Anjali Singla from Delhi in India, on the topic of psychosocial disabilities, in particular, travelling with Chronic Anxiety Disorder. Anjali is a psychologist by training, and currently she is working with an NGO in India called The Banyan that works with homeless people who experience mental illness. She is also a research associate and part time faculty teacher at the Department of Psychology, with her area of expertise being trauma psychology, working with refugees & tribal populations.

Anjali can be contacted at [email protected] and Twitter accounts to follow ar @banyanbalm, @AnjaliSingla20 and @MGMentalHealth.

Our service provider spotlight highlights the Warrior On Wheels Foundation’s upcoming participation in the Cape Town Cycle Tour where children with disabilities are given the #GiftOfAdventure by being towed in buggies by cyclists. This event is made possible by the generous donations of sponsors – to find out more visit www.warrioronwheels.co.za/cape-town-cycle-tour/

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” Anonymous

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg Software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.

#mgmh #TheBanyan #BALM #GiftOfAdventure #WOWBuggyTeam #WarriorOnWheels

Lois Strachan speaks with Saul Molobi who shares his story about his first overseas trip as a traveller with a disability. Saul is a businessman, entrepreneur and also involved in radio. He has experience as a public servant, having worked for government in marketing & communications, and has also served as a diplomat.

Saul became disabled 3 years ago as a result of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare disorder where a person's immune system attacks their nervous system.

Saul can be contacted on [email protected]

Our Travel Tech Corner features the Sunu Band navigational device available from Edit Microsystems. It is a wrist-worn device which attempts to augment obstacle detection for people with visual impairments.

For information, contact Edit Microsystems on 021 433 2520 or [email protected] and quote ASA as the reference to receive a discounted rate.

"I travel because it makes me realise I haven't seen, how much I'm not going to see, and how much I still have to see." Carew Papritz.

This episode was edited by Craig Stachan using the HIndenburg software. Credit read by Musa E Zulu.

This week, Lois Strachan chats to Lauren Jackson who shares insights on travelling to 13 different countries as a wheelchair user. Lauren has a genetic disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, more commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease.

Our service provider spotlight features Cape Nature's Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve which has a wheelchair accessible bird hide as well as a braille hiking trail.

Today's travel quote is from Neale Donald Walsch: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu.